Bayton CofE Primary School

Bayton CofE Primary School Inspection report

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116781 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire Local Authority 312400 Inspection number 5 °6 December 2007 Inspection dates Ceri Morgan HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 79 School The governing body Appropriate authority David Chance Chair Avis Pounder Headteacher 12 January 2004 Date of previous school inspection Bayton School address Near Kidderminster DY14 9LG 01299 832393 Telephone number 01299 832705 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 5 °6 December 2007 Inspection dates 312400 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Bayton Primary is much smaller than average in size and serves a rural and settled community. There are currently no pupils who are entitled to free school meals or in the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Bayton CofE Primary School, 5 °6 December 2007

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Grade: 2

Bayton Primary is a good school with some outstanding features. These include the personal development, behaviour and attitudes to learning shown by the pupils and the work of the headteacher. Pupils thoroughly enjoy their time here and say that it is a 'safe and friendly school'. One pupil described in detail what he liked about it and ended by saying that Bayton teaches you to 'like learning a lot'. They are right to think this way. Much of this success is due to the clarity of vision and thoughtful approach to continuous improvement established by the headteacher. She has the full support of parents, pupils and the local community, and has secured a collaborative team approach. This has enabled the school to offer a broader and more varied curriculum than might be expected from a school of this size. In particular, the wide range of clubs, visitors and trips all help make the educational experience a rich and stimulating one for the pupils. The pupils themselves recognise and

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Grade: 2

appreciate this. An example of this is the inclusion recently of modern foreign languages into the curriculum. The use of new technology to make the curriculum more stimulating and to enliven lessons is widespread, although some teachers use it more effectively and in an interactive way ° helping to add sparkle to those sessions. Pupils attain high standards in English, mathematics and science, and a significant proportion go on to reach the higher levels in national tests each year. These proportions are often well above national averages. In particular, standards of reading are high. Most pupils make good progress, although there are some variations between subjects. For example, pupils usually perform better in English than they do in mathematics. In 2007, the progress made by Year 6 pupils in English was amongst the best nationally. There is some variation between year groups and some classes, which is the result of less evaluative monitoring that does not always lead

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Grade: 2

to secure improvements being made. The quality of teaching is good but varies between classes. In the best lessons, excellent relationships, detailed planning and high expectations lead to good progress although better use could be made of the plenary sessions within lessons and marking pupils' work. An effective whole-school pupil tracking system that identifies which pupils are at risk of underachievement secures this progress. However, there was also a tendency on occasions for lessons to be 'safe' rather than challenging and for pupils, especially the more able, to have too few opportunities to explain their thinking in detail. This is especially evident in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Children start school with standards that are above average, especially in literacy. This good start is built on well by staff and, as a result, children make good progress. They use a rich vocabulary to explain their thinking and are given opportunies to work both independently and under adult supervision. The newly-opened outdoor landscaping has improved provision. Support staff make a very good contribution to learning, and relationships are positive throughout. There is a good induction process to help pupils settle into school well and there are well-established links to the local nursery. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Bayton CofE Primary School, 5 °6 December 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Use the evidence available from monitoring to ensure that progress in mathematics is as good as that in English. ■ Increase the level of challenge in lessons by providing more opportunities for pupils to explain their thinking in detail. ■ Improve teaching still further by making more explicit what teachers expect at the end of each lesson and when marking pupils' work.

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Grade: 2

Children are given a good start in Foundation Stage classes and make good progress. Throughout the school, pupils show high levels of attainment. Although pupils perform well in the Year 2 national assessments, they do better in reading than writing. Standards of writing are starting to improve, however, as a result of recent initiatives such as 'The Big Write'. The school has worked hard to foster good literacy skills in other subjects, notably through topic work. Standards of reading are very high, which has helped to improve literacy skills. As a result, the progress made by pupils in Year 6 in 2007 was outstanding in English. Progress in mathematics was satisfactory and this has been correctly identified by the school as an area for improvement. There remains a fragile understanding of some basic number work in some classes that prevents pupils from applying their mathematical knowledge with confidence. This is especially evident

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Grade: 1

The behaviour of pupils is exemplary and they routinely treat each other with consideration and tolerance. Pupils respond well to instructions and take seriously the many opportunities they have to show responsibility, such as mentoring younger pupils or joining the school council. They enjoy school and take a full part in contributing to lessons. They feel very safe and well cared for and have an excellent appreciation of the need for healthy lifestyles. The school has, for example, achieved a healthy schools award and the school council have ambitious plans for a healthy tuck shop alongside a well-developed sporting programme. There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop socially and morally, and links with their community are well established via charitable work and performances. This includes a growing understanding of the multi-ethnic society of which they are part, via visits and studies. One particular example

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Grade: 1

is their fundraising for other communities by their plans to 'send a cow to Africa'.

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Grade: 2

Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and many make good use of information and communication technology (ICT) to engage pupils by making their lessons interactive. The quality of teachers' planning is good, although there are occasions when pupils are asked to repeat work as a consequence of having a variety of teachers in each class. Teachers maintain a brisk pace to learning by timing activities well during lessons and good questioning skills. Lesson objectives are shared well and most pupils know what the purpose behind the lesson 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Bayton CofE Primary School, 5 °6 December 2007 is, although they do not always know what teachers will expect of them at the end of each session. As a result, the end sessions within lessons are not always as effective as they could be in making secure what pupils have learnt. However, the involvement of pupils in assessing their own work is helping to increase their understanding of what National Curriculum level

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad, balanced and meets statutory requirements. It is supported by widespread use of ICT that enables pupils to research widely. A wide range of extra-curricular activities, both sporting and artistic, that pupils enjoy, also enriches it. The school are aware that some subjects are in need of greater development, such as religious education, and similarly the curriculum available for more able pupils, but there are clear plans to enhance this in the near future. There remains the opportunity to deepen the experience in mathematics and enterprise skills to better prepare pupils for their future economic well-being. However, a wide range of creative extra activities helps make the curriculum both enjoyable and stimulating for many.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support for pupils is good. In some aspects, it is outstanding. This includes the commitment of staff to ensuring a safe and secure environment and the work with a wide range of other agencies such as specialist sports organisations. All risk assessments are completed diligently and the school takes appropriate action to safeguard pupils. The academic guidance for pupils is good. Marking generally gives pupils a helpful indication of what they need to do to improve their work, but in some cases it is congratulatory rather than developmental. Pupils who are at risk of underachievement or who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported by well-judged interventions. The work of the support staff throughout school is very successful in ensuring these pupils make good progress.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has a clear and accurate view of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the school and a clear vision. This includes establishing a genuine sense of purpose shared by the wider school community. The other leadership roles within school are shared amongst the staff and there is a variation in the range of experience and subsequent impact across subjects. Some subjects, for example, have not been monitored fully and, on occasions, the monitoring that has taken place lacks sharp evaluative comments. This leads to less effective planning for improvement. The contribution made by governors is good. They are supportive and fully involved in the life of the school. They have recently undertaken a useful reorganisation of the various sub-committees and their responsibilities to help make a greater contribution to overall school strategic planning. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Bayton CofE Primary School, 5 °6 December 2007

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Bayton CofE Primary School, 5 °6 December 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Bayton CofE Primary School, 5 °6 December 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Bayton CofE Primary School, 5 °6 December 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

7 December 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Bayton C of E Primary School, Kidderminster, DY14 9LG As you will know, I recently visited your school to check how well you are doing in your work. I am writing to tell you about the findings from my visit. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your welcome and help with the inspection. I was especially impressed with your politeness, behaviour and knowledge, and this goes a long way to helping make the school as good as it is. You all clearly enjoy school and like the various activities you take part in. This is helped by your teachers and other adults who work hard to make sure that not only are you safe and well cared for but that you make good progress in your work too, especially in English. You are right to be proud of your school and your work. I have also asked the teachers to think about some future improvements. These are:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ to help all of you make better progress in mathematics by checking what you are doing more precisely; this is especially true for those who are able to cope with more challenging work ■ to allow you to explain in greater detail what you are doing in lessons

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ to make clearer what teachers will be expecting of you at the end of each lesson and when they mark your work. I would like to congratulate you on your work so far and wish you well in the future. Best wishes Ceri Morgan Her Majesty's Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Bayton CofE Primary School, 5 °6 December 2007

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